Son of Serpents
by The Sneeze
Summary: Meet Kierandus Lestrange. He's the 16 year-old son of the most powerful Death Eaters in the Wizarding World, and doesn’t even know it. He quickly finds himself loathed and feared by most, until even he begins to wonder: is evil inherited?
1. secret son

Andromeda Tonks looked all of her fifty-some years when she answered the door to herLondon home. Her hair was making a rough transition from dark brunette to light grey;streaks of both wrapped themselves into a neat bun atop her head. A brilliant blue shawl of rich cloth draped across her shoulders, and when she squinted up at Severus Snape, crows feet deepened in the corners of her eyes and lips.

"Don't look at me so, professor. I'm a newly widowed woman and not yet ready to enjoy such arduous glances. Contain yourself."

Severus blinked, momentarily thrown off his train of thought.

"Pardon me for being so foward," he recovered, raising an eyebrow. "I assume you know why I'm here."

"Of course I do, child," she sighed. " I'm just disappointed in Dumbledore for not sending someone more amusing. I was hoping for Professor Binns at the least."

"I could juggle if you get too terribly bored," Severus drawled, letting himself be led into the house and out of the drizzle. He noticed Andromeda looking up and down the street carefully before closing the door, without dropping her playful tone.

It was a nice home, if somewhat small. Although it was too well furnished and richly decorated for a _true _muggle house, it still managed to fit in the purely muggle city. It was an altogether quiet home–no servants scurried about in the background.

_So this is what divorcing yourself from the great House of Black gets you,_ Severus pondered, sitting where he was instructed to on a sofa. Although she seemed to pay him no mind, he could see that she had put effort into a little tea and biscuit arrangement. They remained silent as she fixed him a cup, handing it to him with the barest tremble.

"I see that you have no intention of filling me in on any gossip, although I live so very unconnected to the Wizarding World," she said, sitting back in her chair.

"That's of your own devices, Widow Tonks. Nothing is keeping you here anymore," he reminded her.

"Well I certainly have no intention of giving up this life after so many years! Not all of us can risk showing our faces again in the Wizarding World after earning the scorn of so many."

Even though this was a jab at Severus, her voice wasn't condemning. Whether born into or choosing a place among Death Eater elites, both of them had to break free--both had to sacrifice to get where they were today. She didn't hold it against the ex death eater, but that didn't mean she'd stop plying him for gossip.

"So, I heard the Minister of Magic refused Sirius Black an honorable burial..." she prompted.

"Madam, if that is the most recent news you can come up with, I would highly suggest you find some new sources." Severus put down his tea, reached into his overcoat pocket, and pulled out an envelope. "Headmaster Dumbledore has sent me here, concerning this letter you sent him last week. The Ministry is _very_ concerned." Snape opened the letter–Andromeda caught a glimpse of her own delicate cursive on rosebud stationary. His eyes darkened as he held it out for her to confirm.

The letter read:

_Dear Headmaster,_

_I hope this letter finds you well enough. Don't be alarmed if the envelope is speckled with blood–I haven't sent a letter like this in so long I fear that my owl has become fat and irritable, and will probably attempt to nip me for trying. _

_But jests aside, I find I can no longer hesitate to send the Ministry this letter. It pains me to even write these words, because I have kept them a secret for so long. As you know, I am very good at keeping secrets–ever since I met Ted and abandoned the Black family values, my entire life has been about secrets and hiding. _

_But I never, not for one moment, forgot my family, even throughout the war and their disgrace. So when my sister Bellatrix bid me come to her in Azkaban, I obeyed her wishes._

_I had never seen the inside of that forsaken place, and hadn't seen Bella in years. So seeing her like she was, both at once abnormally calm and seething hysterically, was very unsettling. It made my stomach turn to see my once-beautiful sister in that state; it even made me fear the Ministry for a time. So when she thrust a hidden bundle into my arms, out of the guards view, it was easy for me to remain silent when I realized that the bundle was a new born child. _

_The baby himself was in one piece, if malnourished and dirty. She had born a son–hers and Rudolphus's- in that place. I shuddered to see the stains of childbirth in her cell...were her labor pains and screaming so commonplace that they didn't even alert the guards? She looked me in the eye, nodded, and muttered, "Kierandus Lestrange," before pressing a finger to her lips._

_I have kept her son for 16 years since that night, Dumbledore. I have raised him as my beloved nephew, sending him to a Muggle academy and teaching him magic at home. I've tried not to lie to Kierandus, but his questions grow everyday. _

_I do not seek your forgiveness for my actions, Dumbleldore, because I know they've kept him safe. There were many after the war that would hurt the child to enact revenge on his parents. I couldn't let that happen to a little boy, especially one who shares my blood. But I do apologize for not bringing him foward sooner. _

_Since hearing of her Azkaban breakout, I've dreaded the arrival of Bell on my stoop taking back her son and destroying everything I have built in him. She hasn't come yet, but now that I've gotten news of You-Know-Who's near success in the Ministry, I cannot hesitate any longer. Thusly, I place Kierandus in your kind hands. Please send someone for him at once._

_Respectfully,_

_Widow Andromeda Black Tonks _

Andromeda didn't re-read the letter. Like Severus, she knew it almost word for word. It had caused an uproar in the Ministry; although Dumbledore had presented the letter straightaway, seeking to handle the situation directly and openly, the Ministry immediately shushed the notion. They instructed Dumbledore to investigate, but to do so behind closed doors. In this rocky period for the Ministry, they couldn't risk further degrading their reputation.

Severus knew it to be nonsense–the truth would come to light as soon as a reporter caught wind of it, and that would be soon, knowing the snitches in the Ministry.

That is, if there really _was_ a child. The probability that no one had detected a Lestrange child for 16 years was slim, but Andromeda Tonks had been well regarded in her time. Although, there _was_ speculation that her decades of seclusion had driven her a little batty.

"You've come for him, then?" Andromeda's expression was suddenly rigid.

"If this letter is true, then yes," he answered.

"Of course it's true! Your think I'd--"

"Is the child here?" Snape interrupted.

He noticed her pause before answering. _The sign of someone with something to hide._

"He's in the community greenhouse practicing Herbology."

Snape nodded, standing up. "I'll find him." He noticed her looking more plaintive by the moment, and steeled himself by recalling her reference to him as "child" just minutes ago. "You'll want to pack his things while I do. Have you told him that he'll be leaving?"

"Yes...he's expecting to be taken to Hogwarts for further schooling in magic. He's looking f-foward to it." She looked away suddenly, swallowing the emotion that shook her steady voice.

Snape did not feel pity her. He was drowning in brats if she really wanted one. Besides, she had been harboring the son of two of the most dangerous fugitives the Wizarding World had ever known, making the Ministry look like fools. It was too late for discussions, and she knew it.

"What's to be done with my nephew?"Her voice was just more then a whisper.

"I won't be making that determination, madam."

_You should be thankful of that, _he added mentally, making his way to the back of the house. He wasn't pleased to be playing Dumbledore's delivery man, but he conceded that, out of anyone, the child would be safest with him. If intercepted by Death Eaters, Severus would be able to keep them both out of harms way.

The greenhouse was larger then he had expected–a large arc of glass framed in ivy, set in the center of several apartment buildings. Snape felt his heart quicken as he approached it, against all of his determination not to feel anything one way or another. _It's merely a boy. Another insipid, whining brat._

Of course, most brats didn't inherit pure poison for blood. Most boys weren't born in Azkaban cell, their parents feeding off the murders of innocents. Most boys didn't come from a solid line of purebloods who thrived on superiority and vengeance. _It would almost be foolish to expect otherwise from a child born from that._

The greenhouse was a dry, warm alternative to the damp outside. Severus brushed the raindrops from his overcoat and suddenly froze at the sound of laughter. It was a high pitched bark, followed by a clatter and shuffling. Snape felt himself silently drawing near the sound, despite his better judgement to announce his presence and drag the boy outside immediately.

But his curiosity was too strong, and before he knew it, he was half-hidden beside an overgrown fern, getting his first glimpse of Bellatrix Lestrange's son. And it was definitely her son. His hair matched hers in it's shade of pitch black, shorn close to his scalp in little curls. His eyes glinted, dark and bright, and his frame was lean and small like most of the Blacks; and when he grinned, Severus was irked to see a jaw line resembling one Sirius Black too closely for comfort.

But it was the grin itself that was a dead giveaway–the looseness of those thin lips, curled into an easy smile. On Bellatrix, it was a smile from hell. On the boy, it was just a smile–but Severus could hardly see past it's likeness to his mother's, and wondered if any one else would be able to either.

Kierandus Lestrange sat cross-legged on a table with his back bowed over a large pot of plants. He was totally absorbed with it's light blue blossoms, which swayed under his wand. He glanced at an old text book that lay open on the table next to him; he mumbled, and the flowers deepened to a dark blue hue.

He mumbled again, and they sprouted violently in his face. He gave another bark of delight, but the pot tumbled from his lap, bursting open and growing at an alarming rate. Sliding off the table, Kierandal's heavy lidded eye's widened, but so did his smile.

"_Stupefy!_" He ordered, baring his wand in front of him like a fencer would a sword. The flowers withered in places, but on a whole, the growing didn't cease.

Severus had seen enough. Stepping from the shadows, he swept his wand from his pocket.

"_Reducio!_"Severus watch the plant freeze, then shrivel at an amazing speed back to it's former self.

Kierandus's eyes swept over Severus, and he immediately stood up straight. "Thank you, sir."

"Thank you _Professor Snape,_" Snape corrected, and snarled at the boy. "Your carelessness is atrocious. I could have been any Muggle, walking in here to get an eyeful of this _disaster._ You can be _certain_ it will be noted in my report. Consider yourself lucky that your no student of mine–after expelling you, I would personally snap your wand for such a reckless display."

The only sign that Kierandus absorbed any of this was that his dark eyebrows shot up. "_Am_ I to be your student, sir?"

Snape wasn't sure how to answer that, so he didn't. "Your ignorant, even for a child, so I will excuse your attempt to question me. All_ you_ need to know is that I'm here for you."

"That's so sweet, sir." Kierandus's eyes twinkled. "Especially considering we just met."

"Fool! I am here _to_ _escort _youto Hogwarts,"Severus corrected angrily. "Which I intend to do within the hour. Your have between now and then to get your things together and say goodbye to your aunt."

Kierandus's smile faded slightly at that news. He tucked the wand into his jeans and started for the exit. "For the record, I knew you were there the whole time," he tossed over his shoulder.

One second later, he was being jerked backwards by the collar, and was staring into the cold dark tunnels of Severus's eyes.

"I wouldn't make an enemy of me, boy," Severus hissed, his face inches away. "God knows you will have enough of those to occupy your time, Kierandus _Lestrange_."

Kierandus was quiet, as any 16 year old would be in the face of someone so livid. Slowly, evenly, he answered, "Well, if you are to be my first friend in the Wizarding World, Professor Snape, then you should call me Kieran."

Severus examined the boy's eyes for sarcasm, but found none. After a moment, he released Kierandus, growling, "How truly blessed I am."

He gave the boy a shove, and they walked in silence back to the house.


	2. exposed

Severus watched the tearful goodbye from the living room. More specifically, the tears belonged to Andromeda Tonks, even though she tried to stifle them as she hugged her nephew goodbye. Kierandus managed to remain dry throughout the hugs and last words, but then again,_ he_ thought he was going away for school.

_Fool. All excited about being introduced to the Wizarding World. Can't wait to start his new life at a great, big, magical school. _Snape thought snidely to himself, preparing the hearth for a small fire.

Eventually the logs lit under the coaxing of his wand. Severus reached into his pocket and set a small bag of floo powder on the mantle. Glancing back at the odd pair, and saw Kierandus smiling with his aunt, his hands tightly clasping hers. _Within a week he'll be weeping to be back here._

Finally, Andromeda stepped back from her nephew, her composed face trembling. It was fear, Severus reckoned, that caused the dignified woman to cry. She knew what Kierandus would be facing in the upcoming weeks; the boy didn't.

_She has a valid reason to fear. She's raised a child born from the worst luck possible_. With that thought, Snape instructed Kierandus to start the menial task of trudging luggage. The boy raised an eyebrow, but when his aunt nodded in agreement, he started upstairs to get his bags.

"This was the right thing to do, wasn't it?" Andromeda asked the moment he was out of earshot. "The Ministry can keep him safe, can't they?"

_Can or will? _Severus mused. "More so then you would be able to."

Kierandus came back with a suitcase, and winked at Severus before trudging off again. The potions professor glared at his back

"He likes you." Andromeda sniffed. " Cant imagine why".

Severus snorted unkindly. It was possible that he had gone his _entire_ life without ever hearing _those_ words arranged in _that _sentence. "There's no need to be sentimental, Andromeda."

"I'm not be sentimental, you oaf. I've never seen him go so out of his way to irritate a stranger before," she said, chuckling.

"This is the last one," Kierandus called from the staircase. Moments later, he was standing beside the professor, peering curiously into the fire. "So, traveling by floo, is it?"

Severus nodded, a little impressed despite himself.

"Thought so. Well...I hope your not too fond of your shoes, cause I always get mighty queasy when traveling."

"Imbecile," Severus snarled. "Let's go."

Even though Kierandus swore that he had read all about the Floo Network, Severus wouldn't let him go without a quick tutorial. Once he was satisfied the brat wasn't going to end up in the Atlantic Ocean, he threw down his handful of powder, and stepped into the green flames. Right before being swooshed away, he heard the boy ask his aunt:

"So, why exactly did they feel a need to send a _professor _to fetch me?"

Severus wondered how she answered that.

* * *

It was busy at Hogwarts. School was starting within a week, and everything had to be prepared for the hordes of students returning from summer break. House elves and staff were bustling about, paying the newcomers little mind.

Severus climbed the stairs from his office in the dungeons, sharply reprimanding Kierandus for his slow pace. The boy was taking the castle apart with his eyes–the staircases, the elves, the paintings–everything he had read about but never experienced first hand. As a consequence, he was barely paying the professor any mind.

"Stop gawking like a troll, and get over here!" Severus hissed, halfway across the foyer.

"Be right there, sir..."Kierandus replied, eyes hovering on a suit of armor.

They managed to climb to the second floor before the Grey Lady floated past them, missing them by mere inches. Severus was sure he'd have to pick Bellatrix's son off the floor after that.

"She...I mean, _they_ actually do--"

"Say 'exist' and I will personally throw you out of this school."

Kierandus barked his little laugh, surprising the potion master once again. "Of course, sir. You're right."

Finally Snape led them to a particularly gruesome gargoyle statue, and muttered, "pickled tallyjabbers." He ignored Kierandus's look, and the statue turned, revealing a door. Ignoring his questions, Severus pushed the boy up the revolving wooden staircase until they reached the door leading into the Headmaster's office.

Without so much as a knock, the door swung open, revealing Dumbledore in full-bearded, bright-eyes glory. Severus saw him look Kierandus up and down, noting the boy's dark hair, heavy lidded eyes, and the wand sticking out of his jeans. When Kierandus instinctively smiled at the aging Wizard, Dumbledore's bushy brows raised slightly.

"Give me a moment, please," he rumbled, shutting the door in both their faces.

"Hmm.." Kierandus turned to the professor. "I'm getting the faintest impression he doesn't like me."

"Don't think so highly of yourself. Your _hardly_ worth the Headmaster's disdain."

In actuality, Severus was surprised himself. Dumbledore didn't even offer his great daft grin to the boy, and he couldn't remember a time when the Headmaster didn't immediately welcome a brat into his office. It was a habit that always annoyed the potion master in the past, but now it's absence made him uneasy.

"Well, it's _not_ very fair. I haven't even had the chance to make a bad impression yet!"

"Yes, well, your mother's smile makes the impression for you."The instant the words were out of his mouth, Severus realized his mistake.

"What does _that _mean?"Kierandus asked immediately, drawing nearer even in the small space of the stairway. His eyes were intensely sharp and focused on the professor's, as if they would draw the answers out themselves. Of course, it was nothing the Head of Slytherin couldn't resist.

"Don't you _dare _question me! Ten points from--" _Damnable seed._

"No really, sir. What did that mean? What about my mother?"

"I just told you not to--"

"Because if you knew her before she died, I'd really like to know." Each word was stressed for importance. "My aunt never really went into details. I know it's stupid, but I really am interested in that...stuff. I'd like to know what you meant. Really."

"Enough." Dumbeldore's voice boomed from behind the door. "You may both come in now."

But the two of them were still locked in eye contact. Severus cold grimace was the best he could do to mask his shock. _This child knows nothing. Absolutely nothing. All this time I spent laboring under the impression that the boy knew something of the situation–at least that his blasted parents weren't bloody well dead! _He felt an instant ripple of disgust for Andromeda Tonks_–it was just so easy for her to leave this mess for others to clean up. _

Brushing rudely past the boy, Severus opened the Headmaster's office door and went in.

Kierandus eventually joined the professor in the adjacent chairs facing Dumbledore's desk.

"So, Kierandus. I hear you have been a model student under your aunt Andromeda's supervision. All this while attending a muggle high school, is that correct?" There was a hardness behind the Headmaster's voice that Severus detected. He wondered if the reason Kierandus didn't correct the wizard about his name was because he noticed it as well.

"Well, I like to think I managed that because I didn't excel too brilliantly in either category."

"Don't be so modest,"Dumbledore replied, with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I've been in touch with your aunt recently. She tells me how well you've been doing. Of course, we'll need to test your skills before decided where to enroll you."

Kierandus nodded, glancing sideways at Severus. The staleness in the air had spooked the boy.

"Tell me, what does the name "Voldemort" mean to you, young one?"

Dumbledore's question snapped Severus to full attention. _What is he playing at?_

"Er...is this the test already, sir?" Kierandus asked.

"No, no. I was just wondering how well you knew the name."

"Well, I know he wasn't a well liked wizard. My aunt only refers to him as 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named'," he added, chuckling as if she were silly indeed. "He was on the evil side of the war and whatnot, but he was defeated a long time ago by Henry Potter...that's pretty much what I know. Why?"

"_Harry_ Potter," Dumbledore corrected, his voice warming slightly. "He goes to this school, actually. You can meet him, if you'd like." Severus made a noise that sounded an awful lot like scoffing. "One more question: what can you tell me about your parents?"

"Why?" Kierandus asked, looking stubborn.

Severus's sallow skin paled in his outrage._ Rude little... _Kierandus noticed the fury on the professor's face, and moved as far away from as he could without leaving his chair. "Get over it! I cant _stand _this cryptic game shit. I can tell something weird is going on--don't tell me it's not!"

"If you would so kindly answer my question, Mr.Lestrange, then I could begin to explain," Dumbledore answered quickly, before Snape could put together a lucid sentence.

"Well, your answer is,_ not much_," Kierandus said hotly. "All I know is, she was beautiful, he was handsome. They lived, got married, had me, and were poisoned to death during the war. Okay?"

"That woman is absurd!" Severus gaped, looking at Dumbledore.

The headmaster closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his crooked nose."Perhaps it is how Andromeda sees the truth, Severus".Then he stood, and gestured for the professor to walk with him to the doorway.

Once out of earshot, he asked Severus gravely: "Is he telling us the truth about what he knows?"

Using his best judgment as an Occlumens, Snape slowly nodded.

"Good. I think so as well. Your excused."

The Headmaster turned back to the Lestrange boy, and Severus could hear Kierandus asking after him as he descended the staircase.

"Professor Snape will be returning shortly to show you to your room. We have a lot to talk about in the meantime."

* * *

As Dumbledore promised, Snape returned within an hour to the Headmaster's office. He walked in, sensing a change in the atmosphere. Where there had once been tension and raised emotions, there was now a flatness. A drab coldness chilled the room. Kierandus still sat in the same chair, but he had slumped down, and was looking away, silent and pale.

Dumbledore rose, seeing the professor, smiled encouragingly. "There you are, Severus. Mr. Lestrange and I have just finished a very good talk. I'd like you to escort him to a guest room for the time being, if you don't mind. He'll have a week to acclimate himself before classes begin."

"He's being kept as a student? You were serious?"

"He's a boy in need of learning. Of course he'll be taught here. What did you think, we'd keep him as house elf?" Dumbledore laughed jovially, making light of Snape's tone. "Now, if there's anything young master Lestrange needs this week, I've let him know he can come to you."

"Surely there is someone better suited, Headmaster--"

"Nonsense. I can already see that you two will get along famously. Good night, professor."Dumbledore smiled, his eye crinkling, and looked away. Kierandus was already up headed for the exit, his shoulders limp and eyes shielded.

"Alright, but if he is to be a student here, shouldn't he be sorted?" _Then the head of his House can get along famously with him._

Dumbledore raised a delicate eyebrow.

"We shall deal with that when the first years get sorted, I should think." The underlying message in his tone, was, very clearly, "but what would be the point in that?"

How could Kierandus Lestrange not be in Slytherin? _Of course. How superb._

* * *

There was a very quiet knock at Severus's chamber door at six o'clock in the morning. Luckily, the professor was already up drinking tea by that time; he had slept a handful of hours, but couldn't keep his busy mind from working overtime.

He opened the door, not altogether surprised to see Kierandus standing there. The boy still wasn't meeting his eyes–just like on the entire walk from the Headmaster's office the evening before.

But unlike the evening before, the boy had changed from jeans into a skeletal ensemble of the Howarts dress code–a starched white shirt and dark blue slacks. Seeing it without a school tie, vest or crest made it look odd indeed.

"Can I help you, Mr. Lestrange?" Severus asked coldly.

At the name, the boy paled a few shades lighter then his natural tan. "_Kieran_. I told you," he muttered. "Look, I–uh...I can't find the library. Or the Main Hall. Or the way back to my room."

"I gave you a map last night, did I not?"

"Yes...but I cant follow it. Things are always moving on it...it doesn't make sense.

"That's because the castle moves, now isn't it?" Severus drawled. There was no response on Kierandus's part. _He looks like a Dementor got to him._ Severus found the odd sensation of disappointment at the lack of witty banter. _One day in this place, and the life's already sucked out of the brat?_

Severus sighed darkly, clearly put upon. "Alright. Give me a minute. God knows I was put in this school to play tour guide to misguided teenagers."

Fifteen minutes later, they were getting an early breakfast in the Great Hall. Quietly, hungrily, Kierandus swallowed his pancakes. Severus watched the boy's eyes wander over the massive room, as if trying to imagine what it would look like filled with students. The few teachers that were up and about this early regarded the two of them with mild but polite interest, nodding and passing by. After breakfast, Severus dropped the boy off at the library on the fourth floor.

"Don't think I'll be back before five tonight. I'm very _very _busy today, preparing for the onslaught of locusts expected this time next week. I'll show you back to your rooms, but after that your on your own."

Kierandus hardly listened; he was absorbed in the overwhelming volumes of text. His dark lids opened wide as his mouth turned down at the corners. He looked so much like a pouting Sirius Black that Snape had to interject.

"Kieran," he said, making sure he got the boys attention. "History books are in that corner. Newspaper articles are archived in _that_ one." He didn't wait for a reply–with a swoosh of dark cape, he was gone.

* * *

It was past six before Severus remembered to swing back by the library. As he had suspected, Kierandus had gone to the library to do a little research. Across a wide oak table were hundreds of articles, magazine clippings, newspaper pages, and history texts lad open.

The boy was ungracefully snoozing amongst the deluge, his face pressed hard against "The Rise and Fall of the Dark Lord." Severus walked around the table, seeing dozens of snapshots of the same face; her dark, wild hair, her laughing eyes gleaming, her wicked smile. Kieran's smile.

Magazine cut-outs described Death Eaters, with sketches and diagrams illustrating the articles in grueling detail. The newspaper headlines were the worst of the lot: "_The Lestrange's Strike Again!", "It's life in Azkaban for unrepentant Bellatrix" "Prison Break! Are Death Eaters amassing once again?" _

Documents Severus identified as Hogwart's records displayed photos of a young Bellatrix Blackand her husband-to-be.

"I didn't know you went to school here," muttered Kierandus, not bothering to lift his head. "Guess I should have."

Severus realized the boy must have seen a picture of him in the same Hogwart's records. The image of his skinny, young awkwardness being laughed over by this brat left Severus feeling exposed, and thus instantly angry. "I'm surprised that you had time for me in your simpering page-turning. You'd think your grotesque family dealings would provide enough to satisfy your self pity."

Kierandus raised his head, with a look of bewilderment on his face. Perhaps because he had mis-judged the boy, Severus's irritation peaked. "What? Can't find your mummy's body count? I'm sure we can find the list of names in here somewhere." Severus dropped the file he was holding onto the table. It landed with a thud and papers went everywhere.

"Or perhaps your daddy interests you more. Yes, things are much easier explained away on a pathetic father, now aren't they?" Kierandus just stared, color coming into his cheeks. "Oh, but maybe their too easy. Yes, far too easy to find dirt on. Maybe we should try your aunt–I'm sure her ability to lie bald-faced has gotten her into trouble in the past. And after all, she shares their blood, just like y--"

"Don't," Kierandus interrupted, voice barely over a whisper. But it was enough to stop Severus's tirade.

They walked back to the guestroom in silence. While his face remained stony, Severus felt an odd twisting in his gut, knowing he was the very first to spit on Kierandus's lineage. _But there will be many more, and far worse then me. Better he learn to deal with it now._ Reconciled, the professor put it out of his mind.


	3. the big bad

"Dora!" Kierandus squeaked, delight invading his face. Days of repressed smiles fell away the instant he saw his cousin enter the library.

Nymphadora Tonks lit up just as quickly. "Dumbledore told me you'd probably be in here, but I didn't believe him for a second. I couldn't believe _you'd_ be indoors _reading_, even if were hailing outside!"

Kierandus didn't tell her, but he spent hours in the library now. He couldn't help himself; back home he had only scratched the surface of Wizarding knowledge, and there was still so much he wanted to know–about his parents, their family, this school... and yet, with everything he read, the more ignorant he felt. He just shrugged.

"It passes the time. But what brings _you_ here? Shouldn't you be off on some glamorous Auror quest?

"Just an errand for Dumbledore,"she answered nonchalantly. "But once I heard you were here, I knew I couldn't leave before solidly pounding you into the Quidditch field." Her dark eyes twinkled. She was challenging him to a scrimmage.

"Terrific!" said Kierandus, a little too enthusiastically. He had been deprived of fun all week, and it was beginning to take a toll. "It's hard to believe we can actually fly here without having to worry about being seen by peo–muggles, you know?"

"I know. I felt the same way when I first came to Hogwarts. Hey, remember that time..."she trailed off, her smile turning mischievous.

"The guy with the bowler hat?"

"You remember."

"I still see that hat from time to time."

"Where did you...?"

"The lamppost on the corner of sixth and seventh. Looks sharp."

"Oh, righty-o. Best thing anyone's ever done for that man, too, I'd wager."

The chuckled while they made their way down the Quidditch field. Kierandus looked at his cousin out of the corner of his eye. Her hair was cut short and bob-ish around her heart-shaped face. It was currently bright blue, but he knew that could change within moments.

He hadn't seen his cousin for a while–she had been away at school when he was young, but he still seen her over the holidays. But since she had become an Auror, her trips home had become more and more infrequent.

In the gym they picked out two decent Shooting Stars. Once on the Quidditch green, Kierandus looked around at the stands, imagining, as he often did, what they would look like full of students. The both mounted their brooms and began to fly around loopily, scrapping with a few quaffles, but mostly being silly.

Kierandus was pretty pathetic at flying, anyway. With only a few lessons under his belt (courtesy of his restless cousin when his aunt had been at the grocers) , his erratic motions were just barely capable. No matter–he was thrilled just feel the sun on his face and to be with someone who didn't despise him.

Nymphadora wasn't exactly graceful herself. She managed to miss the quaffle Kierandus threw at her, but lost control of her Shooting Star and promptly slipped off its' handle when it bucked. Landing on her bottom, she laughed until her cousin joined her on the field. They sat side by side, suppressing giggles like a pair of school girls.

"It's good to see you laugh, Kieran," she finally managed. "I was afraid all this solitary confinement had driven you batty. You're scrawnier then I've seen in a long time."

"It's not so bad. I'm just having to adjust to everything..."

"Have you written mum? God knows I never did enough while I was here. She'll never stop complaining if you don't."

"I wasn't sure..."Kieran broke their eye contact.

"What? Wasn't sure if you'd be allowed to?" she pried, reading his mind. "For goodness sakes, your not a prisoner here, Kieran. You can do as you like. Dumbledore will take care of you–you can trust him, I swear."

Kierandus met her eyes again, staring long and hard. "So you know about me."

She took a deep breath. "Yes, I was filled in, if that's what your asking." He frowned and she punched him in the shoulder. "Don't be such a drama queen. I've known you were my cousin my entire life–you've lived in my house since I can remember. It never dawned on me to ask exactly how we were related, true... but that makes _me_ the dotty one. And now that I know that you're the son of two sodheads-- does that make me know you any less? No!"

"But I'm worried you'll see me...differently," he muttered after a minute. _I see me differently._

" I've seen those two sickos up close and personal, and believe me, the only thing I see when I look at you is the little brat who cut holes in all my footies," she said decisively.

Kierandus hugged her neck quite suddenly, knocking foreheads with her. It was just the thing he needed to hear after all these lonely days in an empty school.

"What have they_ done_ to you?" she joked, pushing him away after a moment.

"Turned me into a touchy-feely wench, seems like. C'mon, let's go get some lunch."

Before he could stand to go, she grabbed his shirt sleeve. "Oi. I've just got one more thing to say about all that."

"Go on."

"You know I'd think highly of you, even if you were the son of two Flobberworms. But others...they _don't_ know you. And Dumbledore thinks it would be too dangerous if you were just going around with the Lestrange's name attached to you. The Ministries suggested–and I agree–that you should be Kierandus Tonks for the time being. He's informed the staff already, and if any student asks, you can just say you're my brother. At least until they get to know you, of course..."She looked at him, hoping to see his approval.

"Oh..." Kierandus felt a familiar wave of uncertainty wash over him. _'Too dangerous'..._what kind of danger would that be? The air of secrecy nagged at him. _On the other hand, I can just be any other student. And an Aurors's brother, to top it off! _The uncertainly quickly turned to relief. _It's not like I've ever been more Lestrange then Tonks, anyway, so I wont be completely fibbing..._

"Okay, then."

She scrunched her nose playfully and they went for lunch.

* * *

When the students did finally start to arrive, it felt like an invasion. Kierandus had spent time all over campus in the previous week, and had allowed himself to consider it his own. It had been a boring time, but peaceful in it's own way. Now the clamor of conversations, the cheers of reunited friends, the traffic of luggage filled every one of "his" hallways. It took adjusting to. 

He was sorted right after the first year students. They were so nervous and anxious they barely noticed him slip in at the end of the ceremony to have the worn hat placed on his head.

In a way, Kierandus felt jealous of their fresh, young faces: _They get to have this experience completely carefree. They haven't been quarantined from the rest of the Wizarding society for years...it's so unfair._

_------------------------------------------_

Just before the feast began, Severus slipped into the Great Hall through a side door. Kierandus was just making his way to his seat, and stopped in front of potion's master. They hadn't spoken since the incident in the library, but Kierandus was suddenly far too lighthearted to stop himself from clapping Severus on the shoulder.

The professor recoiled from the touch and frowned. "I take it you're pleased with the sorting," he said dryly.

"I made Hufflepuff!" Kierandus gleamed.

"Don't be so morose. I heard the sorting hat pronounce you a Ravenclaw."

Kierandus laughed with no restraint. A joyous notion was going through his head:_ I am not a Slytherin. I am not a Slytherin! I am not what my parents were. Why have I been worrying? I'm not them at all–I'm just me–just like Dora said. But still, Merlin bless that mangy hat!_

"Yea, I'm a Ravenclaw. Cool, huh? I'm wicked smart, apparently."

"Well, your mouth certainly is."

Kierandus just chortled. "Say, where are you sitting? I'll join you."

"You have to eat with your House, Kieran," Severus replied, surprised by the offer. Most students steered clear of the professor, as he preferred it. And most of _them_ hadn't been personally screamed at a few days ago.

"Oh, right. Well, no offense, but I'm glad not to be sitting at your house's table.It makes things... easier, y'know?"

The potion master certainly did. Even if most of the students hadn't noticed the last newcomer to be sorted, all of the teachers had. They talked to each other in hushed voices, some looking confused, others looking relieved. Dumbledore's face had softened especially. He was now smiling in their direction, and nodded at Severus.

"I'm _thrilled_ for you," Severus tossed over his shoulder, walking off to his table.

Kierandus joined the Ravenclaws, sitting among those who looked to be about his own age. The only empty seat was next to a girl with long, dirty-blonde hair and wide grey eyes. A string of corks dangled from her neck. She turned to stare at him unblinkingly, and he started to get the vaguest idea why the seat was open.

"Hullo!" he greeted cheerfully nonetheless.

She didn't answer, just gazed at him dreamily and nibbled on a buttered roll.

Finally, her voice came soft and serene: "The better to see you with, my dear."

"Pardon?" he asked, genuinely baffled.

"Who are _you_?" a voice interrupted them. Kierandus looked away from the strange witch to see the rest of the table watching him. The speaker had been a beautiful girl with a long dark plait flipped over her shoulder. Her eyes were fixed on his rather pointedly.

"Kieran Tonks–I've just transferred to Howarts," he quickly recited to the group.

"Where did you go before? Beaxbatons?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Padma," answered a boy sitting with his arm around another Ravenclaw girl. "He doesn't even have an accent."

"They have spells for that, Michael," Padma snapped back.

"Well the answer is no," said Kierandus quickly. "My mother home-schooled me up to this point." He waved his hand casually, attempting to dispel their curious looks. "But there's only so much you can teach out of textbooks. That's why I came here." _Funny, _he thought as he spoke, _It's the same lie I was fed, and now I'm turning around and feeding it to others._

The girl under Michael's arm frowned at him. "I didn't know you could be home-schooled..."

"Yes, well, she gets along rather well with the Headmaster, and they worked something out," Kierandus said vaguely_. Please let that satisfy them._ Dora had only been so specific when filling in the details of his deceptionand he hadn't thought to question her further. Of course, at that point he had been envisioning Slytherins asking these questions, not sharp witted Ravenclaws.

"So she felt the need to keep you out of school for five year? What does that make you? A little soft in the ol' noggin, or just your mum's widdle boy?" asked Michael, smirking.

"Well, I guess that would explain the nappies, now wouldn't it?" Kierandus dead-panned, and the table laughed. He had proven himself to be sharp–the essential Ravenclaw characteristic–and now they could relax.

He felt a movement at his elbow, and looked to see the blonde girl float away towards the Gryffindor table, leaving him completely exposed on both sides.

"Oh, don't pay Loony Luna and mind," someone piped, misreading his look of concern. "We've all learned that the hard way, trust me. Now_ that's_ a girl who could stand to have her noggin examined." The speaker snickered, as did a handful of others.

Kierandus was unsure what to make of their laughter, but he was relieved the pressure was off of him. Conversation at the table resumed almost normally, and the feast progressed.

By the time the meal had finished, Kierandus was feeling much more comfortable. Padma Patil's eyes weren't flashing at him as they had been before, and Michael Corner had dragged him into some long-winded conversation concerning their distant family ties. He was so at ease that he was able to eat properly for the first time in days.

Michael's girlfriend had been introduced to him as Cho, and the snickering girl was her best friend, Marietta Edgecombe. There had been other introductions, but Kierandus's favorite had been a six year named Eddie Carmichael–an energetic goof with an excited air and a penchant for experimenting with potions. Kierandus liked him immediately, and stuck close to him for the rest of the meal.

"So over the summer I was reading _Mysteries of Magic, _and it had this article on this little-known Lebanese curse that can actually shrink a wizard's head little by little-- every day for a year," Eddie said in a low, hurried tone. His eyes were too bright to turn away from. "I heard it happens so slowly, that by the time the poor bloke notices, it's too late to do anything about it. Your brain get's compressed over time, and you die only_ after_ you've gone completely round the bend."

This sounded highly unlikely, but Kierandus was far too content to dissuade his new friend. "Brilliant...sounds er–really gruesome."

Eddie agreed and took the newest Ravenclaw over to meet some of his friends at the Gryffindor table. They were all jovial and full of pudding, and launched into stories of their summer exploits. The last of Kierandus's anxiety melted under their laughter–how he had needed this! _I can do this. I can make new friends. I can live this life and be happy here. _

Right before they retired to the common room, Kierandus felt a pair of eyes on him. He looked up, and felt his face freeze–his lips still stretched into a wide smile from talking to Eddie. A boy at the other end of the Gryffindor table peered at him through dark bangs. His eyes were green and intense behind spectacles, and his head was slightly cocked to the side.

_That's him, _Kierandus realized immediately. In his week of studying, the only name he had seen more often then his parent's was this boy's. _The Boy Who Lived...that's what they called him. Catchy._

Harry studied the Ravenclaw in such a deeply inquisitive manner that it tightened Kierandus's throat. But nevertheless, he took the opportunity to do some observing of his own. _He looks normal enough...no matter how much he makes Dumbledore glow. A little scraggly, even. _

In fact, Harry was looking downright harrowed in comparison to his two lively companions. Eventually, the red-headed one said something that coaxed a grin from Harry, and their eye contact was broken.

Still, Kierandus was grateful when Eddie and his friends called it a night and trudged up to the Ravenclaw Tower, leaving behind The Boy Who Lived and his prying gazes. Kierandus barely had time to admire his new quarters before his head hit the pillow and he fell into a deep and nullifying sleep.

* * *

_Reviews are cookies and cream for soul. Your kind words and questions inspire me to write every word of this fic, so you have my sincere appreciation. Sorry this chapter took so long to get out--I as on vacae, but it shouldn't happen again._

_GLEE! I'm excited for Kieran...I hope you are too:) _


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